I love Italian sausage, and use it in the place of, or in addition to, ground beef in many recipes. I also really like Italian sausage subs. You can usually substitute it in the place of meatballs on a meatball sub or chicken in a chicken parm sub. I can not tell you how many of these I ate during my first pregnancy! Maybe that’s why my oldest loves sausage. This recipe is basically a sub sandwich in casserole form, and comes together quickly and easily.

I used a cheese bread loaf purchased from my grocery store’s deli, but any good thick bread will work. You can’t have too much cheese in my house! I also used turkey Italian sausage, reduced fat cream cheese and light mayo to cut the calories a little. You can use your favorites. Speaking of favorites, the sauce pictured – Newman’s Own Sockarooni, I highly recommend it!

I usually cut this recipe in half, so pictured is an 8 x 8. The recipe below is for a 9 x 13 casserole dish. You could also add peppers and onions, but I have to pass on that to get my kids to eat it. I even have to puree my sauce so there are no chunks! Any one else have super picky eaters?

This Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake couldn’t get any easier. For one thing, I started with rotisserie chicken. More on that in a post coming soon.

To the rotisserie chicken, I added Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and cooked pasta. Top it all with provolone cheese and pop it in the oven for a bit.

The kids loved this and so did I!

This casserole is creamy, cheesy and full of flavor.

In an unrelated note, check out that casserole dish. I use that dish all the time and it’s been in a lot of photos on the site. It’s one of those things I don’t really take notice of. I’m pretty sure that amber colored Visions piece isn’t being made any more. It was a wedding gift. Any other brides from the 1980s still using their Visions cookware?

Back to the recipe…here’s what you’ll need to make Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake with Sun-Dried Tomatoes: [Read more…]

I lovecasseroles. I also love breakfast food…anytime of the day. Therefore, breakfast casseroles that can be served for breakfast, brunch or dinner are just my thing. Last year, I made an ‘egg mcmuffin’ casserole and have been meaning to make a sausage version ever since – because if calories didn’t count, I’d order a Sausage McMuffin over a regular one any day. Unfortunately, calories do count so I avoid the golden arches as much as possible, but can still have this yummy and healthier casserole whenever I want!

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, but can be left overnight.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until eggs are set.

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I added a little extra cheese to the top because my family loves cheese. You can also double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 casserole dish if serving a crowd. The recipe is very versatile in that you can really tailor it to your family’s taste, which is why I put 1/2 to 1 pound of sausage. You can also use American cheese for a more “mcmuffin” flavor if you like.

What about you? Do you love breakfast food? Do casseroles make you as happy as they do me? I’m actually getting ready to prepare this chicken casserole for dinner. If you have a favorite feel free to let me know, I’m always looking for new ideas!

Kim M. is a married mother of 3; ages 12, 10, and 5. She is the author of Makin’ it Mo’Betta where she blogs about food, family and and her adventures in the kitchen.

Tuna noodle casserole is not something that I make often. But when Kettle Brand potato chips asked me to create a recipe using their chips, I couldn’t get this idea out of my head.

Tuna casserole has long been topped with crushed chips, but Kettle Brand (#TheRealKettleChips) takes this to a whole new level. These are not your average chips. And this is not your average Tuna Noodle Casserole either.

I used Kettle Brand Salt and Pepper chips to top creamy noodles and tuna. I also used red and green bell peppers, celery and onion to add flavor and color to the casserole. And everything gets folded into a homemade sauce. I love that this casserole is better for you than the classic version. No cream soups and also Kettle Brand Chips are better for you than other chips too. Kettle Brand uses only real, all-natural ingredients and is the first potato chip to be verified by the NonGMO Project.

It makes for a delicious casserole that even my skeptical family liked. Not a morsel was left uneaten.

And the chips are amazing on their own too. The Salt and Pepper variety are crunchy, crispy with just enough salt and pepper to make them taste fantastic. We could have eaten and eaten them. They’re definitely on our new favorite list for snack foods. As a bonus, they’re all natural!

I am excited to introduce you to Kim, one of our new contributing writers. I was excited when I saw her recipe for chicken casserole, because later this week, I’ve got 18 casserole recipes coming to you. We love casseroles!This one is a true classic, crunchy cracker topping and all.

I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes, I just need comfort food. And nothin’ says comfort here in the South more than a chicken casserole!

It makes an appearance at every church potluck, it’s a great dish to take to friends who have just had a baby, and it makes a pretty easy family meal. BUT…..the traditional version that I grew up with is loaded with fat and calories, making it a “special occasion” meal instead of frequent “go-to” dinner. After taking a look at the main ingredients of one of my favorite versions of chicken casserole, I decided to lighten that bad boy up….and I am SO glad I did! It was delicious, and even my kids ate it! (well, 2 out of 3 anyway…which is a miracle around here!)

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the topping is browned and the sauce is bubbling.

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Kim of Mo’Betta – I have been married for 13 years and have 3 children, ages 11, 9, and 4. I started blogging as a way to journal my adventures in the kitchen as I learned to move away from the microwave and boxed meals to cooking ‘from scratch’. Most of my recipes are tailored to meet the needs of my food allergic son (nuts & eggs), diabetic husband, or my waistline!

The credit for this recipe goes entirely to my sister. She knows how to kick things up a notch or three.

This variation on Hashbrown Casserole includes peppers, bacon, extra sour cream and french fried onions on top. It may not win any nutrition awards, but I guarantee if you take it to a potluck your dish will come home empty.

Here’s what you’ll need (add a container of french fried onion topping that didn’t make it into the photo): [Read more…]

This is one of my family’s favorite casseroles and I figured out that it can be made either in the oven or the crockpot, making it very versatile. I’m in love with my slow cooker. There are many nights that we wouldn’t be having dinner at all if I couldn’t put it in the crockpot to cook.

You know those nights where you stand gazing into the pantry or fridge wondering what to throw together for dinner? This casserole is often my answer. It’s not for a last minute meal, because it does have to bake, but the prep time is minimal.

Place ham or sausage in foil on top of potatoes, if you are making meat.

Bake in an oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Or cook in the slow cooker 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.

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I know that looks pretty messy. I just mixed the ingredients right in the crockpot. I wanted to have this with ham, but didn’t want the smoky taste to go through the potatoes too much so I used a trick I learned on Crockpot 365. I made a foil packet with the ham in it and placed it on top of the potatoes. Both foods cooked perfectly and the flavors didn’t mingle during the cooking.